Digital Commons Network^™

Thermal Field Investigations And Applications To Integral Abutment Bridges With Frp Panels, Bo Kong

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Expansion joints are often considered as one of the most vulnerable elements affecting the sustainability of traditional jointed bridges. Over the past several decades, a new type of integral abutment bridge (IAB) has been proposed, where the joints are eliminated at the abutments and/or along the length of the bridges. Although with wide acceptances, the IABs have not been largely applied in practice. Many arguments are unsettled and there are no national design guidelines currently. Among all, the thermal behavior is one of the most concerned issues, and that, to a large extent, limits the maximum length of IABs that …

Judicial Mindsets: The Social Psychology Of Implicit Theories And The Law, Victor D. Quintanilla

Articles by Maurer Faculty

This article introduces Dr. Carol Dweck’s seminal and significant line of psychological research on the phenomenon of implicit theories and draws on this research as a lens through which we might better understand judicial decision-making. In particular, the article focuses on the implications of two types of implicit theories – whether people believe that phenomena are static and fixed versus dynamic and malleable. By introducing this research, this article aims to forward a research agenda designed to examine how social, contextual, and situational forces influence judicial behavior.

An entity theory reflects the mindset that phenomena are fixed and unlikely to …

The Occurrence And Effectiveness Of Deinstitutionalization Of The Mentally Ill In The Pre-Antipsychotic Era, Joni Maria Lee Pow

LSU Master's Theses

Deinstitutionalization, as it occurred after the introduction of antipsychotics in 1954 has received much attention. However, little has been done to examine the occurrence and nature of deinstitutionalization before 1954. This study uses US census data on discharge and readmission rates of US mental hospitals from 1935 to 1964 to examine deinstitutionalization during both periods. Data are analyzed using an interrupted time-series model. The model was used to test for statistical significance of trends before and after the advent of antipsychotics, and to test for an effect of antipsychotics on deinstitutionalization. Discharge rates significantly increased in the period before antipsychotics, …

Chapter 11 Reorganization And The Fair And Equitable Standard: How The Absolute Priority Rule Applies To All Nonprofit Entities, Pamela Foohey

Articles by Maurer Faculty

In recent years, nonprofit entities increasingly have sought bankruptcy protection. Though the Bankruptcy Code does not prevent nonprofits from reorganizing, Chapter 11 was designed for and applies best to for-profit businesses. This creates challenges for courts evaluating a nonprofit’s reorganization plan. This Article focuses on one crucial aspect of a court’s evaluation — the fair and equitable standard, a necessary, but not sufficient condition of which is satisfaction of the absolute priority rule.

The few courts addressing absolute priority claims in nonprofit reorganizations have held that the rule is categorically inapplicable to nonprofit entities except in limited circumstances. These courts …

The Great Recession, The Resulting Budget Shortfalls, The 2010 Elections And The Attack On Public Sector Collective Bargaining In The United States, Kenneth G. Dau-Schmidt, Winston Lin

Articles by Maurer Faculty

American public sector unions and collective bargaining have been subjected to a vicious attack under the auspices of balancing government budgets, promoting "equity" between private and public employees and limiting the impact of "special interests" on government policy. The American and world financial crisis of 2007 resulted in the Great Recession of 2008 and substantial budget shortfalls for local and national governments world-wide. This financial crisis and the resulting disintegration of aggregate demand and employment are eerily similar to the financial crisis and collapse that led to the Great Depression of the 1930’s. However, unlike the calamity of the 1930’s, …

Woman Scorned?: Resurrecting Infertile Women's Decision-Making Autonomy, Jody L. Madeira

Articles by Maurer Faculty

Legal scholarship portrays women as reproductive decision makers in conflicting ways. The distinctions between depictions of infertile women and women considering abortion are particularly striking. A woman seeking infertility treatment, even one who faces no legal obstacles, is often portrayed as so emotionally distraught and desperate that her ability to give informed consent is potentially compromised. Yet, the legal academy has roundly rejected similar stereotypes of pregnant women considering abortion, depicting them as confident and competent decision makers. This Article argues that legal scholars' use of a "desperate woman" stereotype denies women's ability to critically assess the health risks and …

Putting Family Back In Work-Family Conflict: The Moderating Effect Of Family Life Stage On The Work-Family Interface, Rachel C. Trout

LSU Master's Theses

In the present study, various gaps in the work-family literature were addressed by investigating the moderating influence of family life stage on work-family specific support from organizations, supervisors, and coworkers as it relates to work-family conflict. Family life stage was also proposed to moderate the relationships between work-family conflict and work-related outcomes (i.e., turnover intentions and work engagement). Additionally, work-family research has often been criticized for its propensity to sample across occupations in a single study, resulting in a need to study work-family conflict in specific careers. For this reason, elementary school teachers were the focus of this study, as …

Unit Assessments For High School Geometry, Damayanthi Srimathi Jegart

LSU Master's Theses

Abstract Eight unit tests closely aligned with the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum for high school geometry were developed. Five of these were administered, each to the same 115 students spanning all ability and attainment levels in a magnet school in a semi-rural Louisiana district. The results were analyzed to determine the quality of the questions as well as to glean information about student-learning. The test scores were compared to the results of the state-administered end-of-course test for high-school geometry. The main findings were as follows: a) most students do not communicate their reasoning or justification unless directed to do so, and …

Proton Dose Calculations In Homogeneous Media, John Wesley Chapman, Jr.

LSU Master's Theses

In this study, a proton pencil beam dose calculation algorithm was developed for a parallel, monoenergetic beam incident on a homogeneous water phantom. Fermi-Eyges theory (Eyges 1948) was used to transport pencil beams, and the characteristic width of elastic scatter events was modeled using the differential Moliere scattering power (Gottschalk 2010). The incorporation of this scattering power formalism allowed our model to account for multiple Coulomb scattering, single scattering, plural scattering, and rigorously accounted for material effects on scatter. Nonelastic nuclear interactions were incorporated into an additional pencil beam model. The attenuation of primary fluence due to nuclear events was …

Collective Security Or World Domination: The Soviet Union And Germany, 1917-1939, Mark Davis Kuss

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Since the end of World War II, a rather consistent narrative has appeared regarding the origins of this terrible conflict: Hitler started it. The victorious western powers emerged as innocent victims in the titanic struggle while the USSR, once allied to both Hitler and the west, took on the role of principal villain during the Cold War. With the collapse of communism and the partial opening of Soviet archives, a re-assessment appeared, principally under the heading of the “Collective Security School.” As politically incorrect as it may seem, sober reflection indicates that the Soviet Union was actually the peacemaker in …

A Seminaphthofluorescein-Based Fluorescent Chemodosimeter For The Highly Selective Detection Of Cysteine, Xiaofeng Yang, Yixing Guo, Robert M. Strongin

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

A fluorescent chemodosimeter for cysteine detection was developed based on a tandem conjugate addition and intramolecular cyclization reaction. The method exhibited an excellent selectivity for cysteine over other biothiols such as homocysteine and glutathione.

Gat, Solvay, And The Centralization Of Patent Litigation In Europe, Marketa Trimble

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Into Urban Elementary Teachers' Educational Beliefs In Regards To Teaching Writing: Comparing Experiences And Self-Reported Beliefs To Teacher Practices, Shalanda Stanley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This six week study investigated six urban elementary teachers’ educational beliefs in regards to teaching writing, comparing their personal histories as writers with their self-reported beliefs on writing and teaching writing, with that of their teacher practices. A further analysis examined how closely aligned their teacher practices were to research-validated practices. During this ethnographic case study, three questions were explored. These questions were: (a) How do teachers’ personal histories with writing inform their beliefs regarding writing in general, as well as their beliefs on teaching writing?, (b) How do teachers’ educational beliefs in regards to teaching writing inform their instructional …

On Teaching Conflicts And Why I Dislike Allstate Insurance Co. V. Hague, Thomas O. Main

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Shadow Citizens: Felony Disenfranchisement And The Criminalization Of Debt, Ann Cammett

Scholarly Works

The disenfranchisement of felons has long been challenged as anti-democratic and disproportionately harmful to communities of color. Critiques of this practice have led to the gradual liberalization of state laws that expand voting rights for those who have served their sentences. Despite these legal developments, ex-felons face an increasingly difficult path to regaining the franchise. This article argues that, for ex-felons in particular, criminal justice debt can serve as an insurmountable obstacle to the resumption of voting rights and broader participation in society. This article uses the term “carceral debt” to identify criminal justice penalties levied on prisoners, “user fees” …

Where The Good Times Roll: New Orleans As A Destination For Sports Event Tourism, Kristen E. Chighizola

LSU Master's Theses

Over the past several decades, sports event tourism has been a growing area of research for scholars in the fields of sport administration, strategic communications, destination marketing and tourism. The city of New Orleans is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States, with its various entertainment, sports, and cultural events. Over the past three decades, New Orleans has hosted over 30 major sports events and will host several more major events including the BCS National Championship, NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four, and the Super Bowl through February 2013. This case study shows several primary reasons …

Tainted Love: An Increasingly Odd Arbitral Infatuation In Derogation Of Sound And Consistent Jurisprudence, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Mandatory Binding Arbitration Clauses Prevent Consumers From Presenting Procedurally Difficult Claims, Jean R. Sternlight

Scholarly Works

The longstanding debate over the benefits and detriments of mandatory arbitration in the consumer context has often focused on the wrong issue. Although we have now argued for almost twenty years over whether it is appropriate to require consumers to arbitrate rather than litigate claims against providers of products and services, too often commentators have asked whether consumers win or lose when they bring claims in arbitration, rather than whether consumers’ claims are suppressed or eliminated altogether as a result of companies’ use of mandatory arbitration clauses. The United States Supreme Court’s recent decision in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion brings …

Taking Cognitive Illiberalism Seriously: Judicial Humility, Aggregate Efficiency, And Acceptable Justice, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Three Essays On Technology Adoption And The Roles Of Off-Farm Labor, Human Capital, And Risk In Contemporary Us Agriculture, Hiroki Uematsu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Agriculture can be defined as the domestication and farming of plant and animal species to produce food and fiber products. Our society is fundamentally dependent on agriculture as it is the primary source of nutrients essential to human activities. Historically, the introduction of agriculture and technological development thereafter drastically changed the way human civilization has evolved into what it is today. New technologies allow farmers to produce more outputs with fewer inputs. Saved resources from agricultural production, such as land, labor and time, were used elsewhere to produce other goods and services that enrich the quality of our life. The …

The Role Of Managers Within The Welfare System: How Race And Negative Stereotypes About Clients Affect Managers' Tolerance Of Caseworker Discretion, Alethia Marie Picciola

LSU Master's Theses

Previous research studies found differences in social welfare policy implementation based on the racial and ethnical differences of clients, workers, and managers. The public perception of welfare recipients being content with living on government money and unmotivated to become self-sufficient is a central theme throughout American culture. The current study examined whether parish-level managers’ personal beliefs about their clients are associated with their tolerance of frontline staff’s discretionary practices. Additionally, the author examined the role that the race of managers plays in the personal beliefs they hold about their clients as well as their tolerance of frontline discretion. This study …

Economic Assessment Of Rapid Land-Building Technologies For Coastal Restoration, Hua Wang

LSU Master's Theses

In the wake of recent hurricanes, coastal managers in Louisiana have begun integrating infrastructure protection and habitat restoration. Concurrent with this change, emphasis has been placed on marsh creation (MC) techniques that rely on mechanical dredges and sediment conveyance pipelines to rapidly build new land. The costs and benefits of this approach are increasingly compared to more natural and slower methods using fresh water diversions (FWD), yet such comparisons are not typically inclusive of time and risk considerations. Data for more than 300 coastal wetland restoration projects were evaluated for the statistical development of generic acreage trajectories and restoration cost …

Double-Bond Isomerization Of Long Chain Olefins, James Edward Bruno

LSU Master's Theses

Bruno, James Edward, B.S., Western Michigan University, 2010 Master of Science, Fall Commencement, 2012 Major: Chemical Engineering Double-Bond Isomerization of Long Chain Olefins Thesis directed by Professor Kerry Dooley Pages in thesis, 54. Words in Abstract, 349. ABSTRACT Alkenyl Succinic Anhydride (ASA) is commonly used in the paper industry as a sizing agent. ASA is produced by reacting maleic anhydride with long-chain internal olefins. Such olefins are only available with the double bond in the terminal position, so an isomerization step is necessary. The isomerization can be catalyzed using solid strong acid catalysts, such as those containing sulfonic acid groups. …

Evading Legislative Jurisdiction, Austen L. Parrish

Articles by Maurer Faculty

In the last few years, and mostly unnoticed, courts have adopted a radically different approach to issues of legislative jurisdiction. Instead of grappling with the difficult question of whether Congress intended a law to reach beyond U.S. borders, courts have side-stepped it entirely. Courts have done so by redefining the definition of extraterritoriality. Significant and contentious decisions in the Ninth and D.C. Circuits paved the way by holding that not all regulation of overseas foreign conduct is extraterritorial. And then suddenly, last term, the U.S. Supreme Court breathed life into the practice. In its landmark Morrison v. National Australia Bank …

Inside The Seed Of School Accountability: An African-Centered Analysis, Rodrick Lerone Jenkins

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

I use Marimba Ani’s Asili concept as defined in Yurugu to examine the school accountability model. By school accountability model, I mean the school model that consists of privately managed “public schools” regulated by state testing programs. I argue that school accountability is essentially oppressive and its success depends on the falsification of African and African American history. Ani explains that Asili is a Kiswalhili term meaning “beginning,” “origin,” “source,” “nature (in the sense of the ‘nature’ of a person or thing),” “essence,” or “fundamental principle.” Furthermore, Ani writes that seed is an “ubiquitous African analogical symbol in African philosophical …

Evaluating The Differential Effects Of Parental Involvement On Check In/Check Out In Children With Externalizing Behavior Problems, Aaron Jason Fischer

LSU Master's Theses

School-based interventions are typically implemented based on a Response to Intervention model, i.e., a 3-tiered support system. Tier 1 provides universal support for all students; Tier 2 targets children who are at risk for developing problems; Tier 3 focuses on remediation for children with severe problems. The interventions in Tier 2 are important because they provide an opportunity to access children before their problems become critically dysfunctional. Check in/Check out (CICO) is a Tier 2 intervention that has been evaluated for children with externalizing behavior problems. In the current CICO literature, parent involvement during CICO integrates school and home life, …

Fatigue Performance Of Existing Bridges Under Dynamic Loads From Winds And Vehicles, Wei Zhang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

During the life cycle of bridges, varied amplitude of stress ranges on structural details are induced by the random traffic and wind loads. The progressive deteriorated road surface conditions might accelerate the fatigue damage accumulations. Micro-cracks in structural details might be initiated. An effective structural modeling scheme and a reasonable fatigue damage accumulation rule are essential for stress range acquisitions and fatigue life estimation. The present research targets at the development of a fatigue life and reliability prediction methodology for existing steel bridges under real wind and traffic environment with the capability of including multiple random parameters and variables in …

Photojournalism As Photonationalism, Jeremy Kreusch

LSU Master's Theses

The public saw the wars in Iraq (2003 – 2012) and Afghanistan (2001 – present) through the lens of reverence and sentimentality toward the soldier. This was manifest not simply in the catchy “support our troops” rhetoric, but in the one-sided depiction of the experience of battle by the photojournalists who worked for the major news organizations in the Western world. From the emotionally bloated to the nationalistic, the photographs taken by “embedded” photojournalists, whether the result of heavy-handed censorship or merely political influence, presented a consistent image: the soldier as a selfless victim of his or her own heroism. …

"Condoms And Candy": Pro-Choice Students On Campus, Jordan Rebecca Kea

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis seeks to understand the dynamics of a feminist student organization within the context of a college campus in southern Louisiana. Through a methodology of participant observation, interviews, spot observations and archival research I examine how this pro-choice organization navigates campus public space. This project focuses on aspects of collaboration or collective action within a network of organizations, the participation of members, and the discursive processes of storytelling and audience effects. This collaborative ethnography also investigates how cross-sex interactions mediate topics of motherhood, abortion, and sexuality.  

Lung Carcinoma In The Era Of Personalized Medicine: The Role Of Cytology., Maureen F Zakowski, Marluce Bibbo

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

In 2004, three groups working independently [1–3] , almost simultaneously, reported remarkable findings: that activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were common in certain lung carcinomas and that these mutations correlated with the response of those lung tumors to therapy with gefitinib and erlotinib, both EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). This was the first time driver mutations in lung cancer that responded to targeted therapy had been identified, marking the beginning of a new era of personalized medicine in lung cancer. Prior to the discovery of these mutations, patients had been treated with EGFR TKIs but predicting …